Taiwan Cycling Guide The best time to cycle around the island in Taiwan

Cycling in Taiwan is really a good choice, because when cycling here you will find that some scenic spots are quite good, and some scenery can only be seen when cycling. You can try it Just a moment. Route

Taiwan's highways are roughly divided into the following types:

1. Highways, with plum blossom-shaped signs. You cannot ride on highways, so don't go there to die.

2.

Provincial highways, with shield-shaped signs, are the most important roads for cycling in Taiwan. Generally speaking, Taiwan Line X refers to Provincial Highway No. x. There is also an expressway between a highway and a provincial highway, and the sign is also shield-shaped. Cycling is not allowed on the main expressway road, but it is allowed on the auxiliary road.

3. County roads, township roads, square signs. Generally, when entering a village, you will take the county and township roads.

There is a simple way to judge whether a road can be used by bicycles. If you see a motorcycle can go on it, then a bicycle can go on it. Note that the motorcycle here refers to a scooter. Heavy motorcycles are treated like cars. Don't chase after others, you won't be able to catch up. If you see "no motorcycles" on the road, just avoid them.

Taiwan’s roads are in very good condition and you can ride a road bike. Some coastal or mountainous sections may be repaired due to natural disasters such as typhoons, so check in advance whether they are open to traffic and whether there are traffic restrictions.

Cyclists in Taiwan cannot turn left directly at intersections. They have to pass through twice like pedestrians. They call it a "two-stage left turn."

GoogleMap is highly recommended for navigation. It is also very good to use it as a guide. Mark the places you want to go and just click on the map to find out.

The map below is the route of our cycling trip. The red dot is where we live. The following is the specific route, because GoogleMap's restricted location numbers are a bit strange.

Kaohsiung (H)-->(Small truck)-->Neishi (B)-->(Taiwan 1, 26, screen 153)-->Back Bay (C)-->< /p>

(Screen 153)-->Houbi Lake (D)-->(Ship)-->Lanyu-->(Ship)-->Taitung (A)-->(Taiwan Railway )

-->Guangfu (B)-->(Taiwan 9, Taiwan 11C)-->Hualien (C, D)-->(County Road 193, Taiwan 9)-->Heping ( E)

-->(Taiwan Railway)-->Luodong(H)-->(Bus)-->Taipei(G)-->(Bus)-->Luodong(H )

-->(Taiwan 7 C, 7, 7 A)-->Nanshan (I)-->(Taiwan 7 A)-->Huanshan (A)-->(Taiwan 7 A, 8, 14A)

-->Ski Resort (B)-->(Taiwan 14A, 14, County Road 131)-->Yuchi (C)-->(County Road 131 , Taiwan 21)-->

Tonglin (D)-->(Taiwan 21)-->Alishan (E)-->(Taiwan 18)-->Chiayi (F)--> (Taiwan Railway)-->

Tainan (G)-->(Taiwan 1)-->Kaohsiung (H) Physical Fitness

Cycling on the Zhongheng Highway requires relatively good physical fitness High, so it is not recommended for novices. However, if you are a cycling enthusiast and have experience in long-distance cycling, it should be no problem to train.

Beginners can start by traveling around the island in Taiwan. There is no problem if they are healthy and exercise appropriately. Equipment

My bike was shipped in a bag, so it is more comfortable to ride my own bike. If you feel that carrying a car is too tiring, it is also very convenient to rent a car in Taiwan. Contact Giant directly. They have branches all over the island and support returning the bike in other places, so don’t worry if you really can’t ride anymore.

You need to call or send an email to make a reservation 2 weeks to a month in advance. Not every branch provides car rental around the island.

When searching, just select "Island Rental Car" in "Services Provided". There are currently two types of flat-bar road bikes and mountain bikes, and road bikes are recommended.

The rental fee is NT$1,200 (mountain bike) or NT$1,500 (road bike) for the first three days, and an additional NT$200 is charged for the fourth and subsequent days.

Giant has already equipped the equipment with the vehicle. Well, it includes a waterproof camel bag, top tube bag, head and tail lights, computer, water bottle holder, hex wrench, pump, and bike lock. So prepare your own helmet, water bottle and gloves.

Save other luggage if you can. For clothing, cycling pants, quick-drying short-sleeves, underwear, and a jacket are enough. You can change and wash them on the road. If you want to spend the night on the top of the mountain, bring a down jacket and long pants to keep out the cold. Other Transportation

In order to encourage people to travel by bicycle, the Taiwan Railways has launched a two-rail (railway + iron horse) transportation service. However, not all flights can take the car up. For specific flights, you can check the following website. If you want to bring the entire bike with you, choose "non-carrying bag bike" as the type of bike. This is also my first time taking a special train between the two railways, and I personally tested it and it works well.

To go to Orchid Island, you can take a boat from Houbi Lake in Kenting or Taitung. If you get seasick, you can take a small plane from Taitung.

The boat sails from mid-March to mid-September every year, but is suspended in other months due to strong winds and waves due to the northeast monsoon. Small planes are also vulnerable to weather conditions. For specific information, please refer to the Orchid Island Blue Gate website. In addition to transportation, it also provides B&Bs and other useful information. I basically relied on it to guide my trip to Orchid Island. Accommodation

There are many unique B&Bs in Taiwan, and they are cheaper than hotels, so it is definitely recommended to stay in B&Bs. However, good B&Bs are generally not easy to find. I read a lot of books and had recommendations from B&B owners, and it took a lot of effort. But later I found a pretty good website. You can basically find all the B&Bs I stayed in here.

It should be noted that many B&Bs promote environmental protection, so they do not provide disposable toiletries such as toothbrushes. Some B&Bs do not provide towels, so please be aware. Seasons and Weather

In general, the best season to go to Taiwan is the off-season when there is less rain. Calculated this way, it’s basically October, November or March, April. In other seasons, June to September is the typhoon season, and May is the rainy season. In winter, it rains more in the north, and the Chinese New Year is also the peak season.

Taiwan is very hot all year round, and a light jacket is enough when it is the coldest. Of course, I am talking about flat land. It will be very cold in high mountains. For example, the temperature in Hehuan Mountain is only 7 degrees, so you need warm clothes.

The sun in Taiwan is very bright, so be sure to wear sun protection when riding.